This invention relates to an apparatus for setting and positioning car body components on a set carrier in which motorcar body components such as a floor panel, a roof panel, side panels and the like are set into position on the set carrier in a predetermined positional relationship in a setting station at a starting end of a car body assembling line.
A motorcar body assembling line is shown in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 114173/1984 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,044, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). In this assembling line, a set carrier is reciprocated between a setting station and a welding (assembling) station. Car body components such as a floor panel, a roof panel and side panels are set into position on the set carrier by separate setting devices respectively for the floor panel, the roof panel and the side panels (hereinafter referred to as "floor panel setting device", etc.) in a predetermined positional relationship. These car body components are conveyed by the set carrier to the welding station while they are maintained in the set condition and are welded together for assembly into a car body framework by welding jigs which are placed on both sides of the welding station. Thereafter, the assembled body travels down the assembling line for the addition of further components and other treatments.
In this assembling line, the side panel setting device is composed of: a pair of right and left drop lifters which receive a pair of right and left side panels conveyed by a hanger to an upper position of the setting station, and then lower them; and a pair of right and left setting jigs which receive the respective side panels from the drop lifters for setting them onto the set carrier. The roof panel setting device is supported by a guide frame which is provided on one side of the setting station, such that a laterally elongate movable frame which is provided at one end thereof with a setting jig for the roof panel is movable in a lateral direction facing the setting station. After the set carrier has been returned to the setting station, the floor panel is set on the set carrier by the floor panel setting device. Then, each of the side panels which have been received by the respective setting jig from the respective drop lifter, is set on the set carrier by the respective setting jig such that the lower edge of the side panel is connected to the side edge of the floor panel. At the same time, the jig of the roof panel setting device is advanced into the setting station by the movement of the movable frame so that the roof panel which has been held in advance at the side of the setting station may be set between the roof side rails of the right and left side panels.
In this assembling line, the setting jig for the roof panel, i.e., the movable frame for mounting the setting jig in a suspended manner, must be moved laterally at a level higher than the side panel setting jigs in order to prevent the roof panel setting jig from interfering with those side panel setting jigs which are disposed at one side of the setting station. Therefore, the guide frame is composed of a laterally elongate gantry frame such that the movable frame may be supported on an upper beam portion thereof. Further, in order to increase the supporting rigidity of the movable frame for supporting the setting jig (which is a heavy item) at one end in a cantilevered manner, it is necessary to maintain a long supporting span on the other side of the movable frame relative to the beam portion. Consequently, the entire roof panel setting device, inclusive of the guide frame, becomes large, and it is necessary to maintain a large space for disposing the roof panel setting device at the side of the setting station, resulting in a poor space efficiency.
In addition, in this assembling line, a dash board upper piece and a rear tray piece which are to be mounted between the right and left side panels, are manually placed in position in the setting station. This manual work has been a problem in improving the productivity.